Happy Autumn. Its been few weeks since our last blog. We have had a charity event in Land O Lakes, Florida which we raised $1500.00 for various charities at a rib cook off. So this took a bit of time. So back to the routine. I wanted to blog this week about an inspection that should share some light on things. Anti-siphon valves. What are they and what is the purpose. So lets begin.

An Anti-Siphon valve is a valve that connects to the end of your hose bibs. (Exterior water faucet for garden hose.) Anti-siphon valves can be as simple as a spring-loaded one-way valve which opens when water pressure is applied to it in one direction, but closes and seals when water pressure is applied from the other direction. Now there are many types and manufactures for different purposes of this device. For example automobiles have them now to prevent gasoline theft.

Now the main purpose to installing the anti-siphon valve prevents the water currently resting in the sprinkler systems pipes from being siphoned back into the home where it could be emitted from a faucet and consumed. Alot of home owners will have one maybe on the hose bib they use to wash the car. But that far side of the house that the hose bib isn’t used may not. This is probably near the pool equipment or rear deck. So here is a thought. What if you are watering flowers and place the hose in soapy water bucket you are using to wipe down the furniture. The water in the bucket is now entering the home’s water supply. Lastly, we usually see near the well pump that the hose bib near there does not have one. We always report that as a deficiency.

This part of our home inspection is for the plumbing section. We always list this as a deficiency and a safety issue. So for more information, please contact us anytime at 352-322-2700 or visit us on the web: http://www.emeraldinspectionservice.com.

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Good Morning Everyone. Its been a bit since our last blog. But with vacation and family issues back north, I had to put off the blog for a bit. So this weeks blog is about working with the Realtor. Its important that the buyer, seller, home inspector, finance company, title company, pest contractor, and all other parties have a working relationship that helps the sale go smoothly. So lets begin.

Normally, the buyer agent will be a key person in the real estate transaction. That person will be managing appointments with several individuals. The process literally starts from the time the offer is accepted to the buyers being qualified. I know for a fact alot of Realtors will not even talk to you unless its a cash sale or you are already qualified by a lender. The term pre-qualified is really not qualified. They just look over your tax records and make sure you can afford a certain bracket. Anyway, the home inspection, pest inspection and certain testing should be done all coordinated at one time. Certain home inspection companies can coordinate this. For example on our inspections we work closely with a pest company. We perform the pool inspection. We also can perform the well testing, radon monitoring and insurance inspections.

The seller agent also will take notice of how the transaction can go smoothly. For example, if they are alot of issues with the transaction, the seller may pull out of the deal. Mainly because the agent will know the house can be sold just not to that person. Also, agents are now looking for a one stop shop. If a home inspection company can take care of alot of the process instead of multiple people, this eases the stress on all parties.

So the next time somebody is about to purchase a home. Look at the steps that it takes from qualifying to closing. If you can combine the process in some of them, this will make it easier for everybody. We perform this style of inspections in Wesley Chapel, Tampa, Clearwater, and Hernando Florida all the time. For more information, visit our website: www.emeraldinspectionservice.com or call us anytime, 352-322-2700. Thank You.

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This weeks blog is about water testing. Water testing is crucial whether you are living in a community that has public water or you have a private well. We will discuss a few different aspects of why it is important to test the water.

In real-estate transactions a lot of lenders will require the future home owner to obtain a water test when the property has a private well. This maybe for FHA/VA funding. When performing the test there are 3 parts. We test for bacteria, lead and nitrates. The test capsules are rushed to a lab for next day early am delivery. Our lab that we use we have the results within 48-72 hours. We review the report with our clients then send it immediately to the client. Sometimes the lab report will come back with a fail for one of the tests. Does this mean the well is not suitable for drinking water. No. Alot of times it could be minor maintenance and updates needed for the drinking water to be safe. A well is just like any other part of the home. It has components that need to be maintained. This is one area that is a lot of times forgotten about in a home. So you may ask, I have been in my home for a while, should I get mine tested. The answer to that question is yes. If you can not remember the last test results it would be recommended just for simple knowledge that the drinking water is safe.

Now lets talk about, if you have public water. Alot of home owners have invested in a small purification system for water at the kitchen sink. But lets think about that. We may drink the water from bathroom sinks, shower or the refrigerator that has the ice maker. Some may have built in filters that needs to be changed periodically. But is the water coming into that filter safe. It may sound odd but the water traveling thru the pipes may or may not be safe even though it is from a public source. Like the city or a big water tower for the community. As mentioned in the previous paragraph the test is 3 parts. Lead is part of that. Plumbers can not use lead solder on water pipes anymore. As said, lead is part of that test. So it would make sense for piece of mind to have the water tested as well. As the water maybe safe from the source. The travel that it has to go thru may not. The after market filters also have to be changed periodically and the aerators as well. It should be a semi to quarterly idea on home maintenance to change your aerators. Next time remove the aerator from the bathroom sink and you will see debris in the screens of the aerators.

Lastly, in a commercial setting the water should be tested too. To protect the staff of the office. I just found out this week, especially in Hillsborough County, that for day care providers they need the water tested quarterly under health regulations by State of Florida. So in closing, if the State of Florida wants water tested on a routine basis, it maybe a great idea to have the water tested for your home as well.

At Emerald Inspection Service, we do water testing as part of our regular services and schedule this type of service rather quickly. We perform this type of service in a 48 hour time frame in Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando, and Pinellas Counties. We can perform this in other areas as well. To learn more contact our office at 352-322-2700 or visit our website www.emeraldinspectionservice.com or the EPA page,

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This weeks blog is about commercial property inspections. This term is used very broadly. The term commercial property can be categorized as a store front in a strip mall. Additionally, office space maybe in an office building or a house that is converted over to a commercial property for a small business. Alot of business owners do not get a property inspection because they are leasing the property or will do some light remodeling and assume, the contractor will see aspects of the property that may need addressing. The commercial inspection can be done anywhere such as the high rises in Tampa and Clearwater. The strip malls in New Port Richey and the older homes converted to a restaurant like in Reddington Shores, Florida.

So, why should a business owner get a property inspection on their commercial space? The reasons could be endless but we will touch base on the major ones. The first reason is so that the business owner can have full knowledge of the property. For example, on a commercial property the electrical may have had additional circuits added to the panel box such as battery back ups for a server or computers. The circuit breakers maybe weak due to the constant additional energy being used for the space of the office previously. The panel box may need to be upgraded and a skilled home inspector will determine that upon an initial assessment with the client. The plumbing and water should be tested. The old filter system maybe outdated which will cause sickness to the workers. The piping maybe corroded or leaking in a bathroom that may not be used for the tenant space. Inspecting the rooms to make sure there is proper egress if an emergency happens. Inspection of the roof is a major factor because a lot of times the property owners and management company rarely check the roof until it is an issue. Inspecting the HVAC system is keen too. The system may not have been maintained in a long time. This can cause dust mites and possible other allergens to the workers in the space. The building could have been a storage area for auto parts or an old garage. A Phase I assessment with the commercial property inspection will determine previous tenants.

So as you can see, the reasons for the property inspection is just a small scale of why any business owner needs to have property inspection on their prospective space. The major thing to remember is that an inspector will give its due diligence of reporting for this client. The inspection is not to say anybody is wrong but just to assess the property and report any deficiencies that should be repaired, monitored and or that element replaced.

For more information about commercial property inspections, Phase I Assessments, and due diligence, please visit our website http://www.emeraldinspectionservice.com or call us anytime at 352-322-2700.

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